Boat propelling assembly



June 30, 1964 w. F. JOHNSTON BOAT PROPELLING ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 23

INVENTOR. M4 TEE FT JOHN-$70M June 30, 1964 w. F. JOHNSTON BOAT FROPELLING ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 23

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BOAT PROPELLING ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 23, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. n/AA 7'59 F. MOW/V570 ATTONE T United States Patent G H 3,139,061 BOAT PROPELIJING ASSEMBLY Walter F. Johnston, 2877 Westwood Drive, Kingsport, Tenn. Filled Nov. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 239,689 3 Ciaims. (Cl. 11525) This invention relates to a novel boat propelling assembly of the pedal-operated type.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an efficient, practical, and easily installed assembly of the kind indicated, especially but not exclusively, for use in small boats, such as rowboats, and the like, employed in trolling for fish, whereby the operator of the boat is seated, in a selected adjusted position, on a desirable level above the usual Seats of such boats, and can controllably propel and steer the boat forwardly with his feet with a minimum of exertion and distraction from fishing operations.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an assembly of the character indicated above which comprises a seat and pedal driven unit, adapted to be clamped upon the transom of a boat and rest upon the bottom thereof, and an outboard propulsion unit which is detachably carried by the seat and drive unit and is operatively connected thereto, but which is readily removable when it is desired to replace the same with an outboard motor, without sacrifice of the seating functions of the seat and drive unit.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a simple, mechanically superior, and relatively inexpensive assembly of the character indicated above, wherein the pedals are operatively connected to a propelling fin, by means of a novel arrangement of ropes or cables and pulleys.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following descrition and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top plan view showing an assembly of the present invention installed in a boat, with the propelling fin in centered position;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged and exploded perspective view of the propelling fin;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 7--7 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 8 is an exploded perspective view of the assembly, showing its units separated, and the seat back removed from the seat.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, a substantially conventional form of small boat, such as a rowboat 10 is shown, which has a bottom 12, upstanding sides 14, and a transom 16 extending between the sides, having an upper edge 18.

The illustrated assembly of the present invention, generally designated 20, comprises a seat and drive unit 22, and a detachable propulsion unit 24.

The seat and drive unit 22 comprises a frame composed of a pair of horizontal, longitudinally elongated, preferably tubular bars 26, which have relatively short parallel Widely spaced rear end portions 28, relatively long 3,1393% Patented June 30, 1964 Kid parallel spaced intermediate portions 30, less widely spaced than the rear end portions, and parallel spaced forward end portions 32, less widely spaced than the intermediate portions. The forward end portions 32 terminate in forward and downward bends 34 which merge into perpendicular vertical portions 36, across whose lower ends is fixed a lower cross bar 37 having pendant feet 39, in its ends, and spaced outwardly from the frame bars 26, and having non-skid, non-mar cups 38, on their lower ends, adapted to bear upon the boat bottom 12, at a location spaced forwardly from the rear seat 4i). The rear seat 49 is conventionally spaced above the boat bottom 12, on a level below the upper edges of the boat sides 14, and is spaced forwardly from the transom 16, and would ordinarily be occupied by a fisherman in trolling operations. The frame of the unit 22, as shown in FIGURE 2, is spaced above the seat 4t and is on a level preferably slightly above the upper edges of the boat sides 14.

A U-shaped vertical frame member 42, preferably of angle iron form, has a cross member 44, from whose ends legs 46 rise, which, at their upper ends, are suitably fixed to the inward sides of the rear end portions 28 of the bars 26, at the rear ends thereof. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the frame member 42 is angled forwardly and downwardly, relative to the bars 26, so as to conform the frame member to the upward and rearward angulation of the boat transom 16, relative to the horizontal. As also shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the rear end portions 28 of the frame bars 26 bear upon the upper edge 18 of the transom 16, and reach rearwardly therebeyond, so as to put the U-shaped frame member 42 against the rear surface of the transom, and the frame member is clamped in place, by means of horizontal clamping bolts 43, which are threaded through pendant brackets 5th The brackets 54 are on the forward ends of horizontal mounting bars 52, suitably fixed to the inward sides of the rear end portions, and connected by a cross bar 53, and having upstanding arms 54 on their rear ends. The arms 54 have, fixed, on their upper ends, the arcuate lower sections 56 of clamps 58, which have opposed arcuate upper sections 69, which are hinged, as indicated at 62, to the rear ends of the lower sections 56. The clamp sections have forwardly extending ears 64, traversed by clamping bolts 65. The clamps 58 serve as mounting and securing means for the propulsion unit 24. Fixed centrally on the cross member 44 of the U-shaped vertical frame 42 is a horizontal, rearwardly extending bracket 68 which stabilizes the propulsion unit shaft, as hereinafter described.

The seat and drive unit 22 further comprises an upper horizontal cross bar 70, parallel spaced above the lower cross bar 37 and extending across and fixed to the vertical portions 36 of the frame bars 26 and reaching laterally outwardly therefrom. Normally vertical pedal levers 72 are journalled, at their lower ends, 011 pins 74 extending from the ends of the upper cross bar 70, and have pedals 76 journalled on their upper ends, as indicated at 78, and extending laterally inwardly therefrom. The pedal levers 72 are biased forwardly to erect positions, by means of coil springs 80, circumposed on the pins 74, and having, on their opposite ends, arms 82 and 84, anchored severally to the cross bar 70 and the levers 72 cooperatively. This arrangement provides for taking any existent shock out of cables (hereinafter described) attached to the pedal levers, as when only one of the pedals 76 is actively depressed by the boatmans foot. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the pedal levers 72, in their erect positions, are over-centered or canted rearwardly from the perpendicular.

A padded seat is supported upon the intermediate portions of the frame bars 26, and is slidably adjustable therealong. Pairs of sleeves 92 fixed to the underside of the seat 90 are slidably circumposed on the: bar portions,

the forward sleeves being provided with set screws W1 adapted to be tightened to hold the seat in selected adjusted positions. The seat 96 has upstanding apertured cars 96, on its rear end, to accommodate bolts 93, extending therethrough and through the lower parts of the side members 190 of the frame 102 of a seat back 16 1. The lower part of the frame 1M is disposed at the rear edge of the seat 9t), whereby the seat back 134 is held at a reaivvardly inclined angle relative to the seat 91 A safety seat belt 1% can be secured to the side members of the seat back frame. A rear cross member 16% extends between the rear ends of the intermediate portions 36) of the frame bar 26, and the rear end portions 28 of these bars are traversed by vertical J-bolts 11h, spaced rearwardly from the cross member 1%, under whose bends 112, pedal cables are adapted to be clamped, when the propulsion unit 24 is disconnected and not in use. A forward cross member 114 extends between the forward ends of the intermediate portions of the frame bars 26.

The propulsion unit 24 comprises a horizontal, transversely elongated angle iron base plate 116, the plate 116 being longer than the vertical frame member 42 and reaching beyond the opposite sides thereof. The plate 116 is relatively narrow and has, at its ends, rearwardly extending arms 118. The arms 113 have aligned horizontal tubular arms 12% fixed on their upper surfaces and extending inwardly therefrom and having open ends. Journals 122 are circumposed on the inward ends of the tubular arms 12f), which, at their inward ends, merge into related ends of rearwardly converging, downwardly and rearwardly curved arcuate arms 123, fixed, at their rear ends, to the upper end of a vertical tubular shaft housing 124. The unit 24 is mounted to the unit 22 by mounting the clamps 58 on the tubular arms 12;) and engaged with the outer ends of collars 121 fixed on the arms 120.

The shaft housing 124 has open ends, including a lower end 126 which is spaced below the bracket 68 on the cross member of the vertical frame member 42 of the seat and drive unit 22. The bracket 68 has a notch 128, in its rear end, in which the shaft housing 124 normally seats, when the propulsion unit 24 is not swung rearwardly and upwardly, to clear obstructions in the water and when in a storage position. A propelling fin shaft 130 extends downwardly through the housing 24, and has a relatively large diameter pulley 132 keyed on its upper end, as indicated at 134, in FIGURE 4.

As shown in FIGURE 6, a propelling fin 136 comprises a rigid metal sleeve 138, adapted to be removably circumposed on the lower end of the shaft 130, as-by means of set screws 140, and having a pair of vertical rearwardly extending plates 142 thereon, which receive the forward end of a rubber fin member 1441, similar to the flippers of skin divers, the member 144. being held in place by bolts 146 traversing the plates 142 and the member. Where the fin member 144 has longitudinal ribs 148, on its sides, the plates 142 have grooves accommodating the same.

A driven cable 152 is wound around the shaft pulley 1E2 and has flights 154 which extend out through the tubular arms 12%) and are trained around vertical axis idler pulleys 156 upstanding on the base plate arms 118, whence the flights 154 are brought inwardly and secured to eyebolts 156 which are threaded inwardly through the rearwardly extending vertical side flanges 158 of a connector plate 16ft. Movements of the connector plate 16th to ward the ends of the base plate 116 causes the fin 136 to swing toward either side of the centerline or keel of theboat, for propelling the boat, and for steering the boat.

A fixed vertical flat water foil or rudder 162 extends forwardly from and is fixed to the shaft housing 124, in line with the centerline of the boat, and extends forwardly beneath the bottom of the boat, and services to maintain and stabilize a straightline course of the boat,

as the fin 136 is worked from side to side. The rudder 162 is located immediately in front of the fin 136 and its horizontal lower-edge 164 is preferably aligned with the lower edge of the fin member 144. An apertured, rearwardly extending ear 166 on the lower edge of the rudder is journalled on the shaft 13% and is held up by a nut 16% thereon, the rear edge of the rudder being formed with a notch 170, securing the tube 138 of the fin.

The connector plate 16ft is connected by a centered bolt 172 to a connector disc 174, to whose side edges drive cables 176 are connected, as indicated at 17 8. The cables 176 are trained around and extend forwardly from idler pulleys 18$, journalled on and upstanding from the propulsion unit base plate 116, at the ends thereof, and inwardly of the idler pulleys, and the cables 176 are pivotally connected, at their forward ends, as indicated at 182, to the upper ends of the pedal levers '72.

In operation, a boatman being seated on the seat 90,

' can propel the boat forwardly simply by depressing the pedals alternately, so as to cause the fin 136 to angle toward opposite sides of the boat against the resistance of the water. Either of the pedals can be individually operated, for steering the boat.

With the above described arrangement, the boatman can use an outboard motor (not shown), with the propulsion unit 24 disconnected from the seat and drive unit 22 and placed on the boat, to drive the boat toand from a fishing area, and thereat remove the motor and install and use the propulsion unit for trolling.

Although there has been shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scpoe of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is: V

l. in combination with a boat having a bottom, sides, and an upstanding transom, a frame extending forwardly from the transom between the boat sides and spaced upwardly from the boat bottom, said frame having feet on its forward end resting upon the boat bottom and clamp means on the rear end engaging over the transom, a seat mounted upon the frame intermediate its ends, laterally spaced upstanding levers individually pivoted on the frame at the forward end thereof, on horizontal axes extending crosswise of the frame, said levers being swingable independently of each other and having pedals on their upper ends, "a pendant propulsion unit on the frame behind the transom, said propulsion unit comprising a vertical stationary tubular housing a shaft journalled through said housing and extending above and below the housing, a vertical rearwardly extending fin fixed to the shaft below the housing, and means operatively connecting the levers to the shaft at the upper end thereof, said means comprising laterally spaced vertical forward idler pulleys on the frame, laterally spaced vertical rear idler pulleys on the frame behind the forward pulleys, a single pulley fixed on the shaft above the housing, a first cable trained around and extending between the forward pulleys and severally secured at its ends to the levers, a second cable trained around the single pulley and around and betweenthe rear pulleys, and means conected the second cable between the rear pulleys to the first cable at a point between the forward pulleys.

2. In combination with a boat having a bottom and an upstanding transom, a frame overlying and spaced from the bottom of said boat and having the forward end supported on said bottom and having the rear end affixed to said transom, laterally-spaced upstanding levers individually pivoted on the frame at the forward end on horizontal axes extending crosswise of'said frame, a rotatable vertical shaft disposed exteriorly of said boat and behind said transom and supported from said transom,

a vertical rearwardly-extending fin fixed to the lower end portion of said shaft, and means operatively connecting the levers to the shaft at the upper end thereof, said means comprising laterally-spaced vertical forward idler pulleys on the frame, laterally-spaced vertical rear idler pulleys on the frame behind the forward pulleys, a single pulley fixed on the shaft, a first cable trained around and extending between the forward pulleys and severally secured at its ends to the levers, a second cable trained around the single pulley and around and between the rear pulleys, and means connecting the second cable between the rear pulleys to the first cable at a point between the forward pulleys.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said levers are swingable independently of each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,324,722 Bergin Dec. 9, 1919 1,695,304 Turner Dec. 18, 1928 2,292,609 Buehler Aug. 11, 1942 2,654,335 Ball Oct. 6, 1953 2,668,513 Reynolds Feb. 9, 1954 2,733,680 Wagner Feb. 7, 1956 2,775,950 Dearmond Jan. 1, 1957 

2. IN COMBINATION WITH A BOAT HAVING A BOTTOM AND AN UPSTANDING TRANSOM, A FRAME OVERLYING AND SPACED FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID BOAT AND HAVING THE FORWARD END SUPPORTED ON SAID BOTTOM AND HAVING THE REAR END AFFIXED TO SAID TRANSOM, LATERALLY-SPACED UPSTANDING LEVERS INDIVIDUALLY PIVOTED ON THE FRAME AT THE FORWARD END ON HORIZONTAL AXES EXTENDING CROSSWISE OF SAID FRAME, A ROTATABLE VERTICAL SHAFT DISPOSED EXTERIORLY OF SAID BOAT AND BEHIND SAID TRANSOM AND SUPPORTED FROM SAID TRANSOM, A VERTICAL REARWARDLY-EXTENDING FIN FIXED TO THE LOWER END PORTION OF SAID SHAFT, AND MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING THE LEVERS TO THE SHAFT AT THE UPPER END THEREOF, SAID MEANS COMPRISING LATERALLY-SPACED VERTICAL FORWARD IDLER PULLEYS ON THE FRAME, LATERALLY-SPACED VERTICAL REAR IDLER PULLEYS ON THE FRAME BEHIND THE FORWARD PULLEYS, A SINGLE PULLEY FIXED ON THE SHAFT, A FIRST CABLE TRAINED AROUND AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE FORWARD PULLEYS AND SEVERALLY SECURED AT ITS ENDS TO THE LEVERS, A SECOND CABLE TRAINED AROUND THE SINGLE PULLEY AND AROUND AND BETWEEN THE REAR PULLEYS AND MEANS CONNECTING THE SECOND CABLE BETWEEN THE REAR PULLEYS TO THE FIRST CABLE AT A POINT BETWEEN THE FORWARD PULLEYS. 